Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wilkes-Barre, PA and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Wilkes-Barre, PA: $2,190 a month against $2,662 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vancouver outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

106

Cost of Living Index in Wilkes-Barre, PA
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Wilkes-Barre, PA Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Wilkes-Barre, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,190

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wilkes-Barre, PA and in Vancouver

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wilkes-Barre, PA and in Vancouver actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,190 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $2,662 in Vancouver.

Wilkes-Barre, PA $2,190
Vancouver $2,662

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,358 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $3,916 in Vancouver.

Wilkes-Barre, PA $3,358
Vancouver $3,916

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,526 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $5,170 in Vancouver.

Wilkes-Barre, PA $4,526
Vancouver $5,170

Living in Wilkes-Barre, PA costs roughly 18% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wilkes-Barre, PA 62% above, Vancouver 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.15 $18.15

$18.01 CA$25.46

0.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 $49.37

$71.0 CA$100

-30.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 $10.40

$10.83 CA$15.31

-3.97%

Cappuccino

$3.91 $3.91

$3.94 CA$5.56

-0.76%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.13 CA$3.01

-53.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.66 CA$2.34

19.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 $6.85

$5.73 CA$8.10

19.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 $7.31

$6.40 CA$9.04

14.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$2.15 CA$3.04

-58.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.55 CA$3.61

27.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.56 CA$6.45

-3.95%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$4.06 CA$5.74

-0.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.82 $10.82

$12.14 CA$17.17

-10.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$13.23 CA$18.71

0.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.75 $17.75

$20.24 CA$28.62

-12.30%

Apples (1kg)

$6.42 $6.42

$4.05 CA$5.73

58.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.42 CA$2.00

-2.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.97 CA$5.62

35.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$3.91 CA$5.53

73.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.64 CA$3.74

9.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.82 CA$3.98

33.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.48 CA$3.51

19.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.59 CA$2.24

72.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.11 $15.11

$15.30 CA$21.64

-1.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.32 CA$20.24

3.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.57 CA$3.63

19.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.91 CA$4.12

61.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.55 CA$3.60

-42.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 CA$120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.64 CA$3.73

45.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.63 CA$2.31

34.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.91 $29.91

$31.77 CA$44.91

-5.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.42 CA$2.01

-22.54%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.9K $30.9K

$27.1K CA$38.3K

14.16%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K $26.8K

$21.6K CA$30.5K

24.28%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$238 $238

$81.3 CA$115

192.61%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$57.5 $57.5

$37.20 CA$52.6

54.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$52.6 CA$74.4

41.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.49 $49.49

$44.34 CA$62.7

11.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 $14.75

$12.62 CA$17.85

16.88%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,732 $1,732

$1,093 CA$1,544

58.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K $17.7K

$20.0K CA$28.2K

-11.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 $54.5

$58.5 CA$82.7

-6.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.05 $48.05

$33.35 CA$47.14

44.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 $96.1

$96.3 CA$136

-0.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$95.6 CA$135

29.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 $1,253

$1,765 CA$2,495

-29.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 $852

$1,508 CA$2,132

-43.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,736 $1,736

$3,122 CA$4,414

-44.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,752 $1,752

$2,469 CA$3,490

-29.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$3,592 CA$5,078

19.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

4.28

55.84%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Wilkes-Barre, PA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$852 38.9%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7% 77% $656

Groceries & Markets

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$439 20%

Vancouver

$399 15% 9.1% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$370 16.9%

Vancouver

$171 6.4% 53.7% $199

Eating Out

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$284 13%

Vancouver

$280 10.5% 1.3% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$145 6.6%

Vancouver

$128 4.8% 12% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$79 3.6%

Vancouver

$70 2.6% 11.9% $9.4

Getting Around

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$21 * 0.9%

Vancouver

$106 4% 410% $85

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,253 in Wilkes-Barre, PA and $1,765 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wilkes-Barre, PA pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Wilkes-Barre, PA vs $71.0 in Vancouver. Groceries flip the comparison at $439 vs $399, with Vancouver cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wilkes-Barre, PA

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

15:02 3:02 PM

3 h behind Wilkes-Barre, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,288

631,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Wilkes-Barre, PA Vancouver 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Wilkes-Barre, PA
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Wilkes-Barre, PA vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wilkes-Barre, PA and Vancouver differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,190 vs $2,662 including rent). Wilkes-Barre, PA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Wilkes-Barre, PA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,253 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $1,765 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Vancouver pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,190 per month in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $2,662 in Vancouver – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,190 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $2,662 in Vancouver, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wilkes-Barre, PA but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Wilkes-Barre, PA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Wilkes-Barre, PA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.